Kensington Palace said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “very pleased” Meghan is expecting a baby in the spring of 2019.

“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” the palace said in a statement.

“Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”

Doria Ragland, the duchess’s mother, said she was “very happy about this lovely news” and “looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild”.

The news emerged after the duchess and Prince Harry arrived at Sydney airport for a rest day before they officially start a 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific.

The trip is their only international tour since they were married in May, apart from a two-day visit to Ireland.

Holding hands and casually dressed, the prince and the former American actress walked out an airport rear entrance and into a car. Meghan was smiling and clutching folders, while Harry gave a thumbs up to bystanders.

The announcement comes after days of speculation about whether Meghan was pregnant after the pair celebrated five months of marriage.

The news surfaced after Markle’s tour schedule indicated she would not be doing a climb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. pic.twitter.com/Ut9C0RagLk

The duchess once described motherhood as being on her “bucket list” and her husband has frequently discussed his wish to have children.

Theresa May congratulated the couple on their “happy news” and wished them “all the best”.

“My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the happy news they are expecting a baby in the spring. Wishing them all the best.” she said.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Sydney to embark on an official visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

The couple follow in the footsteps of Prince Harry’s parents – Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales – who went to Australia and NZ on their first overseas tour together.

The trip coincides with the fourth Invictus Games, which starts in Sydney on Saturday, and includes dozens of official events.

Prince Harry will launch the fourth Invictus Games in Sydney on Friday – attending both the opening and closing ceremonies.

He founded the Paralympic-style international competition for injured servicemen, servicewomen and veterans in 2014 – with the first games event held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London in March that year.

Last month, the duchess launched a charity cookbook to raise money for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire which claimed the lives of 72 in June of last year.

Together: Our Community Cookbook features recipes from women who are part of the Hubb Community Kitchen – a communal space which was created to provide for the hundreds of residents who were left homeless in the wake of the devastating inferno.

Her low-profile visits to the kitchen where women affected by the deadly blaze have been cooking food for their community have helped to ensure the scheme’s financial survival.

The women were initially only able to keep the doors to the kitchen open to the community for two days a week due to a dearth of funding.

But the duchess’s continued involvement in recent months has allowed them to keep the kitchen open seven days a week. The 50 recipes are inspired by dishes from across Europe, the Middle East, north Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.